This is a better image of the front of the house

I might choose a different color.

Garage doors are easily and often painted.

Shutter info: https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/

What does "an elevated, intentional updated transitional look" look like?

Without seeing the brick close up, my suggestion is to try and match the tone of it with the Hardie board. This is cobblestone and the picture shoes how it will look with your white windows, black garage door. I would remove the shutters because they are faux and don't fit the windows. Then paint the front door black.

Hi, and thanks for your response. Intentional to me means that the design is not just a hodge-podge of things I like, but an actual well-constructed design design of elements that work well together and that look “designed”. Here are a couple houses I really like to give an idea of my design preference. That said, I realize my house will never look like any of these but it’s what I like.

What are your thoughts for a siding, trim, door, garage door design that you think would work w my brick based on my preferences? Thanks!

Also, we are definitely removing shutters. They will be GONE.

For me, the Timber Bark for a warmer look if you prefer a dark colored siding. or even the Mountain Sage gutters are utilitarian, not an accent. keep them the same as the siding so they blend. If you are dead set on the Iron Gray, use it on the trim. It will compliment the roof lines. I'd keep the window trims light/soft like the brick color, not stark white. The white of the actual windows is a nice dimensonal compliment. Keep your yellow door if you love it. Paint the whole door, the sidelites are part of the door.

Remove the galvanized "planters" and plant some colorful bushes, Azaleas, etc.

You said not trendy, but your inspiration houses are all rather trendy.

Do you have samples of the Hardie siding in all the available colors?

It's really difficult to match color and brick via a screen -- really need to see them together on location, and in various positions around the house. Color can look completely different depending on the lighting and even reflected light.

If your brick is a warmer tone than stick with a warmer tone siding. You might consider getting samples of Rich Espresso or Aged Pewter to look at. I do like the look of the darker color up top.

I do have samples of all the Hardie colors. Yes, it is very hard to discern color accuracy of my brick on screen.

Timber Bark actually looks really good against my brick. Aged Pewter works as well but maybe feels a bit drab. I haven’t tried Rich Espresso or Mountain Sage yet. I was spending a lot of time focusing on the cool dark grays that don’t work.

I’m willing to paint the garage door. We will be fully replacing the front door and sidelites to a door that works better with the overall design (color and design TBD).

What trim, gutter, door would work for timber bark or rich espresso?

Also, since my brick is textured should I choose smooth Hardie lap siding or cedar texture?

A dark upper looks good, but consider how the white windows will stand out. Cannot tell if there is white trim around the windows.

Not suggesting this, just curious.

And go for the smooth Hardie. It is available in several widths, I believe, and would choose a wider width. 8.25" seems to be the most common.

Yes the white windows are one of those annoying fixed constraints. :( There is white trim currently around the windows. I do like this dark color. Is this rich espresso or one of the grays? Hard to tell…

These colors are made up and do not match Hardie. Anything you consider needs to complement the brick.

To me, the problem with the darker colors is the windows. They may stand out like in the 2nd picture.

Everything except window trim the same color.

Have you considered primed Hardie painted in your choice of color. I don't know the cost difference.

A couple of chatgpt renderings, one lighter, one darker. (In both cases, I would paint the garage door to match the siding. The black is too dark, IMO.)

These assume there is (or will be) trim around the second-floor windows that can be painted the brick color, so the white of the windows doesn't stand out so starkly against the siding.

I think that it would be helpful if you had better photos of your brick - I feel like people are having to guess re: what the true color(s) is/are within the brick.

You have all of the samples of the Hardi colors - I would use some tape to temporarily affix the samples to the actual brick . You should eliminate colors that you really don't like (for example, I assume that you won't be painting your home red). Don't eliminate too many colors - there may be some that will work really well with your brick.

Which direction does your home face? I would take photos in the morning/ noon/afternoon in order to see how light affects the color of the samples + brick.

Are you really going to let your black garage dictate the color you select? I sure wouldn't. Garage doors are painted all of the time. I wouldn't want to rule out a nice Hardi color because it looks odd with the black garage doors.

I agree that the garage door is too dark currently. I painted my garage door twice. Just use exterior paint, for example, Benjamin Moore Moorglo. It's easy.

Ok, I think you’re all convincing me to paint the garage door. Sounds like it should be the same color as the siding?

To answer one of the questions above, my house faces south and gets lots of shade from a giant tree in the front yard.

I think I prefer a design with high contrast like the second rendering from @simplynatural. Should the siding under the bay window be siding colored or trim colored?

Any thoughts on this design? I kept that garage door as-is but could change if consensus is that it doesn’t work. The rendering is a little cartoonish and isn’t my photo realistic house and brick, but it is quite close. Thoughts? Changes?

totally personal but with the white windows, i like the lighter siding option

AI is giving you much chunkier window trim - is that also part of your project? it is making a huge difference against the dark siding

Yes, the large window trim is also part of the project. It’ll be 4” trim I believe. Is that a good or bad thing? I personally like the look but I’m not a pro.

Any thoughts on limewashing the brick if I am just stuck on a high-contrast dark siding that doesn’t go well with my brick… should I consider limewashing the brick?

You could stain the brick a different color with a brick and concrete stain. You could even darken it up a bit so the contrast wasn't so high. You can have brick and concrete stain tinted to any color to coordinate.

Matthew, thanks for the suggestion. I am locked into white windows. They’ve been recently replaced so I’m stuck, but I like your design.